The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-12-17


can't YOU sceP Heap her up high. |
tell you. or by the living God I'll toss
you in there TO help feed the flamesv
I'll threw in another small shovel of
coal and tried To shut the furnace
door Zel sprang from his box. and
grabbing the shovel tossed in two or
three bushels more. Then he caught
up the slodgc-hamm and hung IL on
the safciy-valvc. NV worst fears were
realized. | knew that he was mad.
We plunged more rapidly than ever
into tho darkness. Tno maniac at the
throttle crancd his head from the cab
window, A. hc drew IL bacl, he mutt
tered several times: "Wc'll keep her
warm, poor thing; oh. yes. wc'l keop
her warm; depend on that"
''lle seemed To ignore my presence
entirely. Again ho got down and
hcapcd moro coal into the furnace.
Then as he sat down ho pulled the
throttle wide open. Tho engine lcapcd
ahead with n furious bound. She
swaycd from side 10 side like drunken
man. and the rig rattlcd rs II palsy
stricken. Away we went like creatures
borne on the back of demon.
"Oncc moro Zicl got down and
hcapcd In coal. The engine fairly
snorlod rs she lurchcd forward now
carecning over the uncavcn track,
now righling herself again and gain
ing fresh impetus with every inch. On
and on she rushed into the midnight.
Faster and faster she hcw- -hcadlong
over bridges, tearing around curves,
plunging down grades. whiz1 ing past
stations, whose red and green lights
glarod at us M instant like the eyes of
kindred demons. and the next instant
were buried again in the black gulf;
dashing over crossings and over roads.
on aud still on we went with the swift
ness Of whirwind.
II know that there was freight
not many miles ahead In few
minutes we would inevitably dash In
To IT.. and not mothers sou on either
train could bc saved. Tho thought
came upon me with such an appalling
rush that involuntarily reached out
TO blow the whistle. With catliko
quickncsS Iicl struck my hand down.
and ] fc'l over in heap on my box
The machine was rocking aud tum-
bling about more wildly than ever
Tho conductor evidently know that
something was wrong for he rang
several times to stop Tho manlac on.
giucer only laughed. aud. tearing the
bell from the roof. flung IL through
tho window. j grew frantic. Ziol
yelled to mo TO throw In more coal.
A moment later he cried, Ohoi see.
] see! Warm her up Bob, warm her
up! ] ss what's robblng her OF NIL her
heat. I'll fix that all right III fix
that. you bctr
Before ] could stop him ho had
dashed through tho front door Of the
cab. Tho next instant the headlight
flashed out--we were rushing along
into utter darkness. But ! snntchod
my opportunity, terrified M | was. |
graspcd the whistle valve aud began
to blow the alarm. lis frat hoarse
below brought back the maniac on
jump. ] crouchcd as no sprang for
mo, aud picking up the monkey
wrench. struck at him. Tho blow foil
on his breast II half staggered him,
but hc rushed mt me again.
'Just at that instant the baggage
car door opened aud heard shout
and saw men standing in the light.
I.cl halted as the glare fell upon his
face such hidcous face as never
saw before. aud pray heaven / may
never see again Then ho turned sud
denly aud made another plunge in my
direction. ! was too quick for him this
time. Tho monkey wrench fell square
on his head. lie dropped back into
the coal box like "A bag Of sand.
II sprang TO The valve, snalchcd of
the slcdgc, turned on the air-brhkcs.
and reversed her In way that
knocked half the seats in the passenger
cars over aud threw nearly every body
IN the slccpcrs from their bcrth@ We
were Just rounding n curyo aud ! caught
sight of the tail lights Of the freight
lit seemed 10 m, within touching dis
tance. turned half around 10 jump
from tho cab aud saw that Franklin's
body was not ia the coal bOx-and
Then fell In n swOO1.
Il was told afterwards that Franklin
had been found walking on the track
behind the train. aud. Incredible ~ II
may seem. this was the fact. The
train had stopped with the engine
pilot not three feet from tho cabooso
Of the freight Tho sudden
Jar must have thrown OF Iicl.
who had apparently only been stunned
after all by my blow IIo hal fear
ful cash in his head. but seemed TO be
~ rational as any human being could
DO when he got up ~ where the train
halted Bat ho could not remember a
single incident Of that fearful night
Drunk No, sir; he wasn't drunk;
hadn't touched liquor for months. De.
tcctivcs looked into that, aud traced
all his movements for days before that
wild experience. Franklin was taken
down with brain fever after ward. how
ever. but he .ecoycrcd Some years
ago he became n conductor on The New
York. New Haven & Hartford road.
lie finally retired. and bought himself
n cory homo IN Milford. Conn. There
o Ia